Sean “Diddy” Combs was sentenced to 50 months (four years and two months) in federal prison and a $500,000 fine (the maximum allowed) for two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. The conviction and sentence can be appealed.
A federal judge on Friday sentenced Combs, after the rapper, record producer and entrepreneur apologized for his actions. Combs was acquitted of the most serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, but convicted on the prostitution-related offenses.
The conviction had carried a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison (per count). Prosecutors had argued for a sentence of at least 11 years; while Combs’ defense team argued for a 14-month sentence, which would have seen Combs released by the end of the year, accounting for the time he had spent in a New York federal detention center since his arrest 13 months ago.
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian in Manhattan, N.Y., noted that the sentence was necessary to send a message of accountability for abuse and that Combs, 55, had “irreparably harmed two women”. The judge emphasized the need for a substantial sentence to deter similar crimes and send a message that victims’ experiences will be taken seriously. Combs was convicted of transporting the two women as well as sex workers for the intent of prostitution.
Combs, who has been held in custody in Brooklyn, N.Y., had submitted a four-page letter to the judge that included an apology to the victims; and addressed the court during his sentencing: “I ask your honor for the chance to be a father again. I ask your honor for the chance to be a son again. I ask Your honor for the chance to be a leader in my community again. I ask your honor for a chance to get the help that I desperately need to become a better person because I don’t want to let God down, I don’t want to let my family down.”
The defense team submitted over 75 letters of support for Combs from friends, family members and other supporters; with six of Combs’ seven children also speaking in support of their father.
Combs said he would fully comply with the sentence: “I don’t have nobody to blame but myself. I know I’ll never put my hands on another person again. I know that I’ve learned my lesson. I’m willing to comply with any conditions the court puts upon me. Given a chance, when we talk about the possibility of me sharing my story, it’s not just a scheme to try to get less time — it’s that this story is real, this story is tragic.”
Judge Subramanian, addressing Combs after sentencing. said: “There is a light at the end of the tunnel. These letters, all those letters that I saw, show that you have a universe of people who love you. Let them lift you up now, just like you’ve lifted them up for so many years.”
Subramanian thanked the victims for coming forward: “To Ms. Ventura, “Jane,” and the other victims here who came forward, I can only say — your families are proud of you and your children, when they’re old enough will be proud of you, and I am proud of you for telling the world what really happened. You were speaking to the millions of women out there who have been victims but feel invisible and powerless and had to suffer in silence. You told those women and the world that violence behind closed doors doesn’t have to stay hidden forever. The number of people who you reached is incalculable.”
Ventura’s attorney said after the sentencing hearing: “While nothing can undo the trauma caused by Combs, the sentence imposed today recognizes the impact of the serious offenses he committed. We are confident that with the support of her family and friends, Ms. Ventura will continue healing knowing that her bravery and fortitude have been an inspiration to so many.”
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